Inoculation training kit

ABSTRACT

An inoculation training kit contains a simulated body part and at least one inoculation needle, allowing a user to practice inoculations upon the simulated body part.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to medical inoculations and, moreparticularly, to an inoculation training kit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of health risks have been associated with terrorist attacks inthe United States and elsewhere. Past terrorist attacks have includedthe use of weapons and explosives as well as the use of poisons, forexample, Ricin and infectious agents, for example, Anthrax. There is agrowing concern that terrorists may make use in the future of otherinfectious agents, and in particular, smallpox.

Smallpox was essentially eradicated by 1977 through a comprehensiveglobal immunization program. Therefore, smallpox vaccinations wereglobally terminated in 1977. As a result, people born after 1977 areunlikely to have been vaccinated against smallpox, and those vaccinatedin 1977 or prior are unlikely to still be protected against the smallpoxvirus. Though smallpox was eradicated from the worldwide humanpopulation, smallpox virus samples still exist in various laboratoriesworldwide.

Following the attack on the World Trade Center and the Anthrax attack onthe federal building in Washington D.C. in 2001, President Bushinitiated a national smallpox vaccination program, requesting near-termimmunization of military personnel deployed to certain regions.Furthermore, if a smallpox attack occurs, the Center for Disease Control(CDC) suggests rapid vaccination of a variety of other people, includingthose directly exposed, contacts of those directly exposed, health careworkers responsible for the care of those with confirmed infection,laboratory workers who handle smallpox specimens, allied personnelhandling laundry, waste, and dead bodies associated with smallpoxvictims, law enforcement personnel, and EMTs.

A smallpox vaccination is administered using a bifurcated needle toadminister the vaccination intradermally, unlike the more typical typeof vaccination administered using a hypodermic needle in anintramuscular injection. With the intradermal technique, it is importantto administer the vaccination at the correct depth into the skin of apatient, and also to be familiar with characteristics of scarificationthat occur days after the vaccination to determine if the vaccinationwas properly administered and to determine if the patient had the properreaction. Because health care workers have not used intradermaltechniques since 1977 to administer smallpox vaccinations, it ispossible that, if the need arises to rapidly perform smallpoxvaccinations, the health care workers will not be able to properlyadminister the smallpox vaccinations and will not be able to properlyinterpret the resulting scarification.

Unlike conventional vaccines, which are made from inactive virusparticles, the smallpox vaccine uses live vacinia virus (similar tocowpox) to induce immunity to variola virus (smallpox). Therefore, whenadministering a smallpox vaccination, it is desirable to reduce oreliminate contamination of other people with the vacinia virus. Methodspracticed decades ago to administer smallpox vaccinations were suitablefor the elimination of contamination to the other people. It is possiblethat health care workers have not been trained in the techniquesnecessary to eliminate the contamination to other people by the vaciniavirus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an inoculation training kit suitable totrain health care workers in proper techniques used in an intradermalsmallpox inoculation. While the training kit is discussed for trainingproper techniques used in the smallpox inoculation, it should beunderstood that, in other embodiments, an inoculation kit can providetraining in proper techniques used in other types of inoculations,including but not limited to, intramuscular injections.

In accordance with the present invention, an inoculation training kitincludes a holding container for holding an inoculation needle and asimulated body part. The simulated body part provides a substantiallyrealistic sensory feedback associated with practice inoculations appliedwith the inoculation needle to the simulated body part.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a simulatedbody part includes a simulated skin covering and a blood containerdisposed within the simulated skin covering containing simulated blood.The simulated body part provides a substantially realistic sensoryfeedback associated with practice inoculations applied to the simulatedbody part.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention a holdingapparatus includes at least one compartment adapted to hold a vial ofvaccine in an upright position, while exposing an end of the vial to beaccessible to an inoculation needle. The holding apparatus also includesat least one compartment adapted to hold a vial of vaccine at an anglebetween about thirty and sixty degrees while exposing the end of thevial to be accessible to the inoculation needle.

With these particular arrangements, training for and application ofmedical inoculations is improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features of the invention, as well as the invention itselfmay be more fully understood from the following detailed description ofthe drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial showing a disassembled inoculation training kit ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the inoculation training kit of FIG. 1 whenassembled;

FIGS. 3-3C are diagrams that together show a simulated body part, whichcan be a part of the inoculation training kit of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cap, which can be a part of theinoculation training kit of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a plurality of inoculation training kitswithin a shipping container along with a stand used with the inoculationtraining kits;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing training materials, which can be a part ofthe inoculation training kit of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an alternate arrangement of portions of asimulated body part, which can be a part of the inoculation training kitof FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 8 is a portion of the alternate arrangement of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an alternate arrangement of an assembledinoculation training kit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary disassembled inoculation training kit10 can include and outer container 12 and an inner container 14 adaptedto fit within the outer container 12. The inoculation training kit 10also includes a simulated body part 16, which is adapted to couple to astand 11. In this particular embodiment, the simulated body part 16corresponds to an arm, and the stand 18 corresponds to a shoulder.However, in other embodiments, a simulated body part and stand canrepresent other body parts. At least one bifurcated inoculation needle32 is provided to allow a user to perform practice injections with theinoculation needle 32 applied to the simulated body part 16. Thesimulated body part 16 is further described in conjunction with FIGS.3-3C, 7, and 8 below.

The inoculation training kit 10 can also include a reconstitution kithaving a first vial 24 a filled with powdered vaccine, a second vial 24b filled with diluent liquid, a syringe 31 with a needle 31 ofapproximately twenty-one gauge, and a vented needle 31. In practice, thereconstitution kit allows a user to create a simulated vial of smallpoxvaccine, in the same way that would be done for a real vial of vaccine.The user uses the syringe 31 to draw diluent from the second vial 24 bwith the needle 31 and injects the diluent with the vented needle 31into the first vial 24 a containing the powdered vaccine. The ventedneedle 31 allows air to escape from the first vial 24 a as the diluentis injected.

The inoculation training kit 10 can also include one or more of rubbergloves 35, hand sanitizer 22, gauze pads 25, a biohazard disposal bag28, a surgical marker 30, adhesive dressings 34, a compact disc (CD) 36,and a CD tutorial pamphlet 37. The CD 36 can have audio, visual, or bothaudio and visual information thereon, providing instructions in propertechniques for administering the smallpox vaccination, proper appearanceof the inoculation site in the days following the inoculation, andproper techniques for keeping others from becoming infected with thevaccine. The inoculation training kit 10 can also include at least oneend cap 26 a adapted to retain the above items in the inner container14, during transport of the inoculation training kit. As described belowin conjunction with FIG. 4, one or more of the end caps (only 26 ashown) can have features to assist with the inoculation.

Referring now to FIG. 2, in which like elements of FIG. 1 are shownhaving like reference designations, an assembled inoculation trainingkit 50 corresponds to the disassembled inoculation training kit 10 ofFIG. 1. The inner container 14 and the simulated body part 16 areadapted to fit within the outer container 12. End caps 26 a, 26 b retainone or more of the first vial 24 a (FIG. 1) filled with powderedvaccine, the second vial 24 b (FIG. 1) filled with diluent liquid, thesyringe 31 (FIG. 1) with the needle 31 and the vented needle 31, therubber gloves 35 (FIG. 1), the hand sanitizer 22 (FIG. 1), the gauzepads 25 (FIG. 1), the biohazard disposal bag 28 (FIG. 1), the surgicalmarker 30 (FIG. 1), the adhesive dressings 34 (FIG. 1), the compact disc(CD) 36 (FIG. 1), and the CD tutorial pamphlet 37 (FIG. 1) within theinner container 14 during transport. End caps 52, 54 retain the innercontainer 14 and the simulated body part 16 within the outer containerduring transport. The stand 18 shown in FIG. 1 is separately packagedfor transport as shown in conjunction with FIG. 5 below.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-3C, a simulated body part 100 corresponds tothe simulated body part 16 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The simulated body part 100includes blood containers 104 a-104 c containing simulated blood (notshown). The blood containers 104 a-104 c can be disposed between asimulated skin covering 102 and an inner core 110. The blood containers104 a-104 c each include a respective blood bag 106 a-106 c with arespective sponge 108 a-108 c disposed therein containing the simulatedblood. In response to a simulated inoculation applied to the simulatedskin 102 (i.e., a stab with the bifurcated needle of FIG. 1), a smallamount of the simulated blood is released from one of the sponges 108a-108 c through the respective blood bag 104 a-104 c and through thesimulated skin 102. However, in another embodiment, the small amount ofsimulated blood may be released only after a number of stabs with thebifurcated needle.

In one embodiment, the simulated skin 102 has a thickness of rangingfrom about twenty to forty mils and a durometer in the range of aboutsixty to eighty Shore A. The blood bags 106 a-106 c have a wallthickness in the range of about one to three mils and a durometer in therange of about eighty to ninety-five Shore A. The simulated blood withinthe sponges 108 a-108 c has a viscosity in the range of about onehundred to two hundred fifty cps. The sponges 108 a-108 c each have adurometer in the range of about zero to ten Shore A, and a thickness inthe range of about one hundred twenty to two hundred mils. The spongesare each capable of holding about twenty-five to forty cubic centimetersof the simulated blood. The inner core has a durometer in the range ofabout thirty to forty-five Shore A.

In one particular embodiment, the simulated skin covering 102, the bloodbags 106 a-106 c, the sponges 108 a-108 c, and the inner core 110 aremade from a urethane material, for example polyurethane, providinglife-like characteristics.

The simulated body part 100 can also have a bore 112 to accept a shaftportion of a stand, for example, of the stand 18 of FIG. 1, forpositioning the simulated body part 100 on the stand 18. The simulatedbody part 100 can also have one or more ferrous portions 114 a-114 chaving attraction to a magnet (not shown) associated with the stand 18,for retaining the simulated body part 100 to the stand 18.

While magnets and the ferrous portions 114 a-114 c are described above,one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the simulated bodypart 100 can be retained to the stand 18 (FIG. 1) in a variety of ways,including but not limited to, latches, Velcro®, and pins.

In application, a user performs practice inoculations with one of thebifurcated needles 32 of FIG. 1. A practice inoculation involvesreconstituting a simulated vial of vaccine into the vial of poweredvaccine 24 a (FIG. 1) as described above in conjunction with FIG. 1,applying fluid from the simulated vial of vaccine 24 a (FIG. 1) to thebifurcated needle 32 (FIG. 1) and applying one or more practice jabswith the bifurcated needle 32 to the simulated body part 100, and inparticular to the simulated skin covering 102 in the vicinity of one ofthe blood containers 104 a-104 c. As is known, a smallpox inoculationincludes about fifteen stabs with the bifurcated needle if a person towhom the inoculation is administered has never had a smallpoxinoculation. To a person previously vaccinated, about three stabs areapplied.

The simulated body part 100 provides a substantially realistic sensoryfeedback to the user. For example, the simulated body part 100 canprovide a substantially realistic haptic feedback to the user, whereinthe simulated body part 100 has a substantially realistic hardness and asubstantially realistic elastic deformation in response to the practiceinoculation. For another example, the simulated body part 100 canprovide a substantially realistic visual feedback to the user. Thepractice inoculations tend to create one or more punctures of thesimulated skin covering 102 and in one of the blood containers 104 a-104b containing the simulated blood. The punctures can release a smallamount of the simulated blood at the location where the practiceinoculation occurred. For example, the simulated body part 100 canrelease a small amount of the simulated blood when about three practiceinoculations are applied and a greater amount of the simulated bloodwhen about fifteen practice inoculations are applied. The viscosity ofthe simulated blood, the thickness and hardness of the simulated skincovering 102, the thickness and hardness of the blood bags 104 a-104 c,the thickness and hardness of the sponges 108 a-108 c, and the hardnessof the inner core 110 are selected to provide the realistic sensoryfeedback.

While a particular embodiment of the simulated body part 100 havingparticular ranges of characteristics is described above to provide therealistic sensory feedback, it should be recognized that in otherembodiments, the simulated body part 100 can have other ranges ofcharacteristics, which in some combinations provide a reduced but stilleffective realistic sensory feedback. For example, in anotherembodiment, the simulated skin 102 has a thickness of ranging from aboutten to one hundred mils and a durometer in the range of about twenty toeighty Shore A. The blood bags 106 a-106 c have a wall thickness in therange of about one to twenty mils and a durometer in the range of aboutforty to one hundred twenty Shore A. The simulated blood within thesponges 108 a-108 c has a viscosity in the range of about fifty to fivehundred cps. The sponges 108 a-108 c each have a durometer in the rangeof about zero to thirty Shore A, and a thickness in the range of aboutsixty to four hundred mils. The sponges are each capable of holdingabout ten to eighty cubic centimeters of the simulated blood. The innercore has a durometer in the range of about fifteen to ninety Shore A.

While three blood containers 104 a-104 c are shown, each disposed at arelative angle of about one hundred twenty degrees from others of theblood containers 104 a-104 c, in other embodiments, more than three orfewer than three blood containers can be used and at different relativeangles. For example, in one embodiment, one blood container surroundingthe inner core 110 is provided, having one blood bag and one spongedisposed therein containing the simulated blood. Also, in an alternateembodiment, no inner core 110 is included, and the one or more bloodcontainers 104 a-104 c are merely disposed within the simulated skincovering 102.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in which like elements of FIGS. 1 and 2 areshown having like reference designations, the end cap 26 a can have atleast one compartment 152 that can hold one or more of the simulatedvials of vaccine 24 a (FIG. 1) in a generally upright position, notsubject to being spilled, when placed in the compartment 152. The cap 26a can have another compartment 150 that can hold one or more of thesimulated vials of vaccine 24 a (FIG. 1) in a position betweenapproximately thirty and sixty degrees from upright, not subject tobeing spilled, when placed in the compartment 150. The cap can have yetanother compartment 154 adapted to hold a top cap (not shown) of thesimulated vial of vaccine 24 a. Another compartment 156 can be used tohold other items, for example, the bifurcated needles 32 (FIG. 1).

While a cap having compartments 150-156 is shown, in another embodiment,the same compartments having the same functions can be provided in analternate piece that does not form the cap 26 a for the inner container14. In this embodiment, the alternate piece can be retained within theinner container 14 during transport. Also, while the cap 26 a having thecompartments 150-156 has been described to be part of the inoculationkit 10 (FIG. 1), the alternate piece having the same features andfunctions as the cap 26 a can be provided apart from the inoculationtraining kit, to hold vials of vaccine during real inoculations.

While the cap 26 a is shown to have the compartments 150-156 it shouldbe apparent that others of the caps 26 b, 52, 54 (FIG. 2) can also havecompartments, which may be the same or different than the compartments150-156 in the cap 26 a.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an exemplary transportation box 200 can holdone or more of the assembled inoculation training kits, for example oneor more of the assembled inoculation training kits 50 shown in FIG. 2.The transportation box 200 can also hold the frame 18 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the training materials 36, 37 (FIG. 1), and inparticular, the CD 36 of FIG. 1, can provide a visual description 250 ofthe appearance of the site of a real smallpox vaccination as a scarforms and heals on the arm of a real patient. The visual description 250can include a plurality of descriptions associated with differentpatients, for example day-six descriptions 252, 258 from two patients,day-eight descriptions 254, 260 from two patients, and day-tendescriptions 256, 262 from two patients.

As is known, a successful smallpox inoculation is indicated byparticular scarification that occurs in the days after an intradermalinoculation with smallpox vaccine. Therefore, it is very important inthe training process to teach the user what the scarification shouldlook like in the days following the smallpox inoculation.

While a smallpox vaccination applied with a bifurcated needle isdescribed in conjunction with the above figures, the inoculationtraining kit is not limited to smallpox vaccinations or to a bifurcatedneedle. Many types of vaccinations are applied by injection with ahypodermic needle into a muscle of a patient. Therefore, in an alternatearrangement, the inoculation training kit can have one or morehypodermic needles and associated syringes in place of or in addition tothe one or more bifurcated needles. A CD similar to the CD 36 (FIG. 1)can be provided to teach a user about other types of inoculations. Thesimulated body part 100 (FIG. 3-3C) can be adapted to provide therealistic sensory feedback, including release of a predetermined amountof the simulated blood when practice injections are applied with thehypodermic needle.

Referring now to FIG. 7, an alternate arrangement 300 of portions of asimulated body part, for example the simulated body part 100 of FIGS.3-3C, includes an alternate arrangement for providing the substantiallyrealistic visual feedback to the user (i.e., the release of simulatedblood). The alternate arrangement 300 includes a simulated skin covering302, which can be the same as or similar to the simulated skin covering102 of FIGS. 3-3C. A region 314 includes an orifice 316 through thesimulated skin covering 302. A piezoelectric switch 308 a-308 c (alsodenoted 308 herein) is provided in the region 314. The piezoelectricswitch 306 can include a piezoelectric film layer 306 a, an insulatinglayer 306 b, and a conductive reference layer 306 c.

A blood reservoir 310 a holding a volume of simulated blood 310 b isfluidly coupled to the orifice 316. A control circuit 306 is adapted toactivate one or more features 310 c associated with the blood reservoir310 a in accordance with the signals received from the piezoelectricswitch 308, causing a small amount of the simulated blood 310 b to bereleased from the orifice 316, giving a user a substantially realisticvisual feedback. In one particular embodiment, the one or more features310 c are Nitinol bands adapted to generate a hydraulic force in theblood reservoir 310 a in response to a signal 312 from the controlcircuit 306. Nitinol (Nickel Titanium Naval Ordnance Laboratory) is anickel-titanium alloy known to have a shape memory and to deform orreturn to its original shape upon application of a temperature. Thetemperature can be induced by application of a voltage or current. Theblood reservoir 310 a having the one or more Nitinol bands 310 c isdescribed more fully below in conjunction with FIG. 8.

In operation, a user applies one or more practice inoculations to theregion 314. The region 308 can be clearly marked on the simulated skincovering 302. The piezoelectric switch 308 provides a signal to thecontrol circuit 306 upon each practice inoculation, i.e., upon eachpractice stab with a bifurcated needle 32 (FIG. 1) upon the region 314.The practice inoculations can be counted by the control circuit 306.After a predetermined number of practice inoculations have been applied,the control circuit 306 generates a signal 312, causing the one or moreNitinol bands 310 c to deform, resulting in a hydraulic force upon theblood reservoir 310 a and a release of a small amount of the simulatedblood 310 b from the orifice 316.

The predetermined number of inoculations (i.e., practice stabs with theinoculation needle) that result in activation of the Nitinol bands 310 ccan be any number. As described above, a person who has never received asmallpox inoculation receives about fifteen stabs with the bifurcatedneedle in a real smallpox vaccination, and a person who has previouslyreceived a smallpox vaccination is subjected to about three stabs withthe needle. Therefore, in one particular embodiment, the control circuit306 can be selectively set to count either about fifteen or about threepractice inoculations and to provide the signal 312 to the one or moreNitinol bands 310 c accordingly.

While a piezoelectric switch 308 is shown and described, it will beunderstood that a variety of types of switch can be used, including butnot limited to, a mechanical switch.

Referring now to FIG. 8, apparatus 400 can be used to generate thehydraulic force described above. The apparatus 400 includes a bloodreservoir 402 having an outlet 410 and containing simulated blood 404.Nitinol bands 406 a, 406 b surround at least a portion of the bloodreservoir 402. The apparatus 400 can include a piezoelectric switch 414,which can correspond, for example, to the piezoelectric switch 408 ofFIG. 7. The blood reservoir 402 can correspond, for example, to theblood reservoir 310 a having the simulated blood 310 b of FIG. 7 and theNitinol bands 406 a, 406 b can correspond to the one or more Nitinolbands 310 c of FIG. 7.

In operation, the Nitinol bands 406 a, 406 b are adapted to deform whena voltage, V+, V−, is applied to them. The amount of deformation isproportional to the voltage. Therefore, it will be understood that theNitinol bands 406 a, 406 b can provide a hydraulic force to force anamount of the simulated blood 404 out of the outlet 410 in response tothe voltage.

A control circuit, for example, the control circuit 306 shown in FIG. 7,can be used to provide the voltages V+ and V− to one or more of theNitinol bands 406 a, 406 b. The voltages V+ and V− can correspond, forexample, to the signal 312 of FIG. 7. The control circuit 306, asdescribed above, can count a number of practice jabs with a needle, forexample upon the region 314 (FIG. 7) having the piezoelectric switch414. The control circuit 306 can provide the voltage to the Nitinolbands 406 a, 406 b accordingly.

While Nitinol bands 306 a, 306 b adapted to provide the hydraulic forceare shown, other configurations of Nitinol material can also be used.For example, a spring made from the Nitinol material can be used.

Referring now to FIG. 9, in an alternate arrangement, an inoculationtraining kit 500 can be packaged in a tray 502 having a removable cover504. The inoculation training kit can contain a simulated body part 506,and a CD 508 having training instructions thereon. The simulated bodypart 506 can be the same as or similar to the simulated body part 16 ofFIGS. 1 and 2, and the simulated body part 100 of FIG. 3. The CD 508 canbe the same as or similar to the CD 36 shown in FIG. 1. The inoculationtraining kit 500 can include some or all of the other items described inconjunction with the inoculation training kit 10 of FIG. 1, includingbut not limited to one or more of the first vial 24 a (FIG. 1) filledwith powdered vaccine, the second vial 24 b (FIG. 1) filled with diluentliquid, the syringe 31 (FIG. 1) with the needle 31 and the vented needle31, the rubber gloves 35 (FIG. 1), the hand sanitizer 22 (FIG. 1), thegauze pads 25 (FIG. 1), the biohazard disposal bag 28 (FIG. 1), thesurgical marker 30 (FIG. 1), the adhesive dressings 34 (FIG. 1), thecompact disc (CD) 36 (FIG. 1), and the CD tutorial pamphlet 37 (FIG. 1).

All references cited herein are hereby incorporated herein by referencein their entirety.

Having described preferred embodiments of the invention, it will nowbecome apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that otherembodiments incorporating their concepts may be used. It is felttherefore that these embodiments should not be limited to disclosedembodiments, but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scopeof the appended claims.

1. An inoculation training kit, comprising: a holding container, havingdisposed therein: an inoculation needle; and a simulated body parthaving a substantially realistic sensory feedback associated withpractice inoculations applied with the inoculation needle to thesimulated body part.
 2. The inoculation training kit of claim 1, whereinthe substantially realistic sensory feedback includes at least one ofsubstantially realistic haptic feedback and substantially realisticvisual feedback.
 3. The inoculation training kit of claim 2, wherein thesubstantially realistic visual feedback includes simulated bleeding. 4.The inoculation training kit of claim 2, wherein the substantiallyrealistic visual feedback includes elastic deformation of the simulatedbody part.
 5. The inoculation training kit of claim 1, wherein thesimulated body part includes a blood container containing simulatedblood and the simulated body part is adapted to release a predeterminedamount of the simulated blood in response to the practice inoculationsapplied with the inoculation needle to the simulated body part.
 6. Theinoculation training kit of claim 5, wherein the simulated blood has aviscosity of about fifty to five hundred cps.
 7. The inoculationtraining kit of claim 5, wherein the blood container comprises a bag anda sponge disposed within the bag, wherein the sponge contains thesimulated blood.
 8. The inoculation training kit of claim 7, wherein awall of the bag has a thickness of about one to twenty mils and adurometer of about forty to one hundred twenty Shore A.
 9. Theinoculation training kit of claim 1, wherein the simulated body partincludes a simulated skin covering.
 10. The inoculation training kit ofclaim 7, wherein the simulated skin covering has a thickness of aboutten to one hundred mils and a durometer of about twenty to eighty ShoreA.
 11. The inoculation training kit of claim 1, wherein the simulatedbody part includes an inner core.
 12. The inoculation training kit ofclaim 1, wherein the inner core has a durometer of about fifteen toninety Shore A.
 13. The inoculation training kit of claim 1, wherein thesimulated body part includes: a simulated skin covering having athickness of about ten to one hundred mils and a durometer of abouttwenty to eighty Shore A; an inner core having a durometer of aboutfifteen to ninety Shore A; and a blood container containing simulatedblood disposed between the simulated skin and the inner core, whereinthe simulated body part is adapted to release a predetermined amount ofthe simulated blood in response to the practice inoculations appliedwith the inoculation needle to the simulated body part.
 14. Theinoculation training kit of claim 13, wherein the blood containerincludes a bag with a wall thickness of about one to twenty mils andwith a durometer of about forty to one hundred twenty Shore A and havinga sponge disposed within the bag containing the simulated blood having aviscosity of about fifty to five hundred cps.
 15. The inoculationtraining kit of claim 13, wherein at least one of the simulated skin,the blood container, and the inner core is made from polyurethane. 16.The inoculation training kit of claim 1, wherein the simulated body partcomprises a simulated portion of a human arm.
 17. The inoculationtraining kit of claim 1, wherein the inoculation needle comprises abifurcated needle.
 18. The inoculation training kit of claim 1, whereinthe inoculation needle comprises a hypodermic needle and a syringeadapted to couple to the hypodermic needle.
 19. The inoculation trainingkit of claim 1, wherein the holding container has further disposedtherein at least one of a disinfecting agent, a surgical glove, a vialof simulated vaccine, and instructions for administering the simulatedvaccine with the inoculation needle.
 20. The inoculation training kit ofclaim 1, wherein the holding container includes an outer cylindricalcontainer and an inner cylindrical container, wherein the innercylindrical container and the simulated body part are adapted to fitwithin the outer cylindrical container, wherein the inner cylindricalcontainer contains the inoculation needle.
 21. The inoculation trainingkit of claim 20, wherein at least one of the outer cylindrical containerand the inner cylindrical container includes at least one removable caphaving at least one compartment to hold a vial of simulated vaccine inan upright position when the removable cap is removed from the innercontainer and placed on a generally horizontal surface and the vial ofsimulated vaccine is placed upright in the compartment.
 22. Theinoculation training kit of claim 1, further including a stand having aretention mechanism adapted to retain the simulated body part to thestand.
 23. The inoculation training kit of claim 22, wherein the standhas a shape corresponding to a shoulder, and the simulated body part hasa shape corresponding to a portion of an arm.
 24. The inoculationtraining kit of claim 23, wherein the stand, when coupled to thesimulated body part and disposed upon a top surface of a table, is atheight corresponding to a height of a person when sitting in a chair.25. The inoculation training kit of claim 23, wherein retentionmechanism includes a magnet.
 26. The inoculation training kit of claim1, wherein the holding container comprises a holding tray havingcompartments adapted to hold the inoculation needle and the simulatedbody part.
 27. The inoculation training kit of claim 26, furtherincluding a removable cover over the holding tray adapted to retain theinoculation needle and the simulated body part in the holding trayduring transport.
 28. The inoculation training kit of claim 1, whereinthe holding container has further disposed therein instructions foradministering a vaccine with the inoculation needle comprising a compactdisc (CD) having the instructions disposed thereon.
 29. The inoculationtraining kit of claim 28, wherein the holding container has a removablecap and the CD is removably coupled to a surface of the removable cap.30. A simulated body part, comprising: a simulated skin covering; and ablood container containing simulated blood disposed within the simulatedskin covering, wherein the simulated body part provides a substantiallyrealistic sensory feedback associated with practice inoculations appliedto the simulated body part.
 31. The simulated body part of claim 30,wherein the substantially realistic sensory feedback includes at leastone of substantially realistic haptic feedback and substantiallyrealistic visual feedback.
 32. The inoculation training kit of claim 31,wherein the substantially realistic visual feedback includes simulatedbleeding.
 33. The inoculation training kit of claim 31, wherein thesubstantially realistic visual feedback includes elastic deformation ofthe simulated body part.
 34. The simulated body part of claim 30,wherein the simulated skin covering has a thickness of about ten to onehundred mils and a durometer of about twenty to eighty Shore A.
 35. Thesimulated body part of claim 30, further including a inner core and theblood container is disposed between the simulated skin covering and theinner core, wherein the inner core has a durometer of about fifteen toninety Shore A.
 36. The simulated body part of claim 30, wherein theblood container includes a bag having a wall thickness of about one totwenty mils and a durometer of about forty to one hundred twenty ShoreA, and further includes a sponge disposed within the bag and containingthe simulated blood having a viscosity of about fifty to five hundredcps, wherein the simulated body part is adapted to release apredetermined amount of the simulated blood in response to the practiceinoculations applied to the simulated body part.
 37. The simulated bodypart of claim 30 further including a inner core and the blood containeris disposed between the simulated skin covering and the inner core,wherein the simulated skin covering has a thickness of about ten to onehundred mils and a durometer of about twenty to eighty Shore A, theinner core has a durometer of about fifteen to ninety Shore A, and theblood container includes a bag having a wall thickness of about one totwenty mils and a durometer of about forty to one hundred twenty ShoreA, and further includes a sponge disposed with the bag containing thesimulated blood having a viscosity of about fifty to five hundred cps,wherein the simulated body part is adapted to release a predeterminedamount of the simulated blood upon a practice inoculation applied to thesimulated body part.
 38. The simulated body part of claim 30, whereinthe blood container comprises: a blood reservoir containing simulatedblood; a blood orifice coupled to the simulated skin covering; a bloodpump coupled to the blood reservoir and to the blood orifice, includingat least one Nitinol portion coupled to the processor and adapted tosqueeze the blood reservoir to generate a hydraulic force; and aprocessor adapted to detect the practice inoculations applied to thesimulated body part and further adapted to activate the blood pump togenerate the hydraulic force to move a predetermined amount of thesimulated blood from the blood reservoir to the blood orifice inresponse to a predetermined number of the practice inoculations appliedto the simulated body part.
 39. The simulated body part of claim 38,wherein the processor includes a counter adapted to count thepredetermined number of practice inoculations, and wherein the processoris adapted to activate the blood pump in response to the countedpredetermined number of the practice inoculations.
 40. The simulatedbody part of claim 39, further including a mechanical switch coupled tothe simulated skin and to the processor and adapted to sense thepractice inoculations.
 41. The simulated body part of claim 39, furtherincluding at least one of a piezoelectric film and a piezoelectricelement coupled to the simulated skin and to the processor and adaptedto sense the practice inoculations.
 42. The simulated body part of claim38, wherein the predetermined number of practice inoculations isselectable.
 43. The simulated body part of claim 29, wherein thesubstantially realistic sensory feedback is associated with practiceinoculations applied with a bifurcated needle.
 44. The simulated bodypart of claim 29, wherein the substantially realistic sensory feedbackis associated with practice inoculations applied with a hypodermicneedle.
 45. An apparatus for holding a vaccine vial, comprising: atleast one compartment adapted to hold the vaccine vial in an uprightposition while exposing an end of the vaccine vial to be accessible toan inoculation needle; and at least one compartment adapted to hold thevaccine vial at an angle between about thirty and sixty degrees whileexposing the end of the vaccine vial to be accessible to the inoculationneedle.
 46. The holding container of claim 45, wherein the holdingapparatus is made from molded plastic.
 47. The holding container ofclaim 45, wherein the holding container further includes at least onecompartment adapted to hold a cap from the vaccine vial.